the life of william carey-第54章

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l　the　partialities　arising　from　country　and　education。　　If　there　ever　existed　a　period；　therefore；　in　which　a　European　could　oppress　a　native　of　India　with　impunity；　that　time　is　passed　awaywe　trust　for　ever。　　That　a　permission　of　this　nature　might　tend　to　sever　India　from　Britain　after　the　example　of　America　is　of　all　things　the　most　improbable。。。

〃Long　before　the　number　of　British　landholders　in　India　shall　have　become　considerable；　Penang　and　the　Eastern　Isles；　Ceylon；　the　Cape；　and　even　the　Isles　of　New　South　Wales；　may　in　European　population　far　exceed　them　in　number；　and　unitedly；　if　not　singly；　render　the　most　distant　step　of　this　nature　as　impracticable；　as　it　would　be　ruinous；　to　the　welfare　and　happiness　of　India。。。

〃British…born　landholders　would　naturally　maintain　all　their　national　attachments；　for　what　Briton　can　lose　them？　and　derive　their　happiness　from　corresponding　with　the　wise　and　good　at　home。　If　sufficiently　wealthy；　they　would　no　doubt　occasionally　visit　Britain；　where　indeed　it　might　be　expected　that　some　of　them　would　reside　for　years　together；　as　do　the　owners　of　estates　in　the　West　Indies。　　While　Britain　shall　remain　what　she　now　is；　it　will　be　impossible　for　those　who　have　once　felt　the　force　of　British　attachments；　ever　to　forego　them。　　Those　feelings　would　animate　their　minds；　occupy　their　conversation；　and　regulate　the　education　and　studies　of　their　children；　who　would　be　in　general　sent　home　that　they　might　there　imbibe　all　those　ideas　of　a　moral　and　intellectual　nature　for　which　our　beloved　country　is　so　eminent。　Thus　a　new　intercourse　would　be　established　between　Britain　and　the　proprietors　of　land　in　India；　highly　to　the　advantage　of　both　countries。　　While　they　derived　their　highest　happiness　from　the　religion；　the　literature；　the　philanthropy　and　public　spirit　of　Britain；　they　would；　on　the　other　hand；　be　able　to　furnish　Britain　with　the　most　accurate　and　ample　information　relative　to　the　state　of　things　in　a　country　in　which　the　property　they　held　there　constrained　them　to　feel　so　deep　an　interest。　　The　fear　of　all　oppression　being　out　of　the　question；　while　it　would　be　so　evidently　the　interest　not　only　of　every　Briton　but　of　every　Christian；　whether　British　or　native；　to　secure　the　protecting　aid　of　Britain；　at　least　as　long　as　two…thirds　of　the　inhabitants　of　India　retained　the　Hindoo　or　Mussulman　system　of　religion；　few　things　would　be　more　likely　to　cement　and　preserve　the　connection　between　both　countries　than　the　existence　of　such　a　class　of　British…born　landholders　in　India。〃

It　is　profitable　to　read　this　in　the　light　of　subsequent　eventsof　the　Duff…Bentinck　reforms；　the　Sepoy　mutiny；　the　government　of　the　Queen…Empress；　the　existence　of　more　than　three　millions　of　Christians　in　India；　the　social　and　commercial　development　due　to　the　non…officials　from　Great　Britain　and　America；　and　the　administrative　progress　under　Lord　Curzon　and　Lord　Minto。

There　is　one　evil　which　Carey　never　ceased　to　point　out；　but　which　the　very　perfection　of　our　judicial　procedure　and　the　temporary　character　of　our　land　assessments　have　intensified〃the　borrowing　system　of　the　natives。〃　　While　12　per　cent。　is　the　so…called　legal　rate　of　interest；　it　is　never　below　36；　and　frequently　rises　to　72　per　cent。　　Native　marriage　customs；　the　commercial　custom　of　〃advances；〃　agricultural　usage；　and　our　civil　procedure　combine　to　sink　millions　of　the　peasantry　lower　than　they　were；　in　this　respect；　in　Carey's　time。　　For　this；　too；　he　had　a　remedy　so　far　as　it　was　in　his　power　to　mitigate　an　evil　which　only　practical　Christianity　will　cure。　　He　was　the　first　to　apply　in　India　that　system　of　savings　banks　which　the　Government　has　of　late　sought　to　encourage。

At　a　time　when　the　English　and　even　Scottish　universities　denied　their　honorary　degrees　to　all　British　subjects　who　were　not　of　the　established　churches；　Brown　University；　in　the　United　StatesJudson'sspontaneously　sent　Carey　the　diploma　of　Doctor　of　Divinity。　　That　was　in　the　year　1807。　　In　1823　he　was　elected　a　corresponding　member　of　the　Horticultural　Society　of　London；　a　member　of　the　Geological　Society；　and　a　Fellow　of　the　Linn鎍n　Society。　　To　him　the　latter　year　was　ever　memorable；　not　for　such　honours　which　he　had　not　sought；　but　for　a　flood　of　the　Damoodar　river；　which；　overflowing　its　embankments　and　desolating　the　whole　country　between　it　and　the　Hoogli；　submerged　his　garden　and　the　mission　grounds　with　three　feet　of　water；　swept　away　the　botanic　treasures　or　buried　them　under　sand；　and　destroyed　his　own　house。　Carey　was　lying　in　bed　at　the　time；　under　an　apparently　fatal　fever　following　dislocation　of　the　hip…joint。　　He　had　lost　his　footing　when　stepping　from　his　boat。　　Surgical　science　was　then　less　equal　to　such　a　case　than　it　is　now；　and　for　nine　days　he　suffered　agony；　which　on　the　tenth　resulted　in　fever。　　When　hurriedly　carried　out　of　his　tottering　house；　which　in　a　few　hours　was　scoured　away　by　the　rush　of　the　torrent　into　a　hole　fifty　feet　deep；　his　first　thought　was　of　his　garden。　　For　six　months　he　used　crutches；　but　long　before　he　could　put　foot　to　the　ground　he　was　carefully　borne　all　over　the　scene　of　desolation。　　His　noble　collection　of　exotic　plants；　unmatched　in　Asia　save　in　the　Company's　garden；　was　gone。　　His　scientific　arrangement　of　orders　and　families　was　obliterated。　　It　seemed　as　if　the　fine　barren　sand　of　the　mountain　torrent　would　make　the　paradise　a　desert　for　ever。　　The　venerable　botanist　was　wounded　in　his　keenest　part；　but　he　lost　not　an　hour　in　issuing　orders　and　writing　off　for　new　supplies　of　specimens　and　seeds；　which　years　after　made　the　place　as　lovely　if　not　so　precious；　as　before。　　He　thus　wrote　to　Dr。　Ryland：

〃SERAMPORE；　22nd　December　1823。

〃MY　DEAR　BROTHERI　once　more　address　you　from　the　land　of　the　living；　a　mercy　which　about　two　months　ago　I　had　no　expectation　of；　nor　did　any　one　expect　it　more　than；　nor　perhaps　so　much　as；　myself。　On　the　1st　of　October　I　went　to　Calcutta　to　preach；　and　returned　with　another　friend　about　midnight。　　When　I　got　out　of　the　boat　close　to　our　own　premises；　my　foot　slipped　and　I　fell；　my　friend　also　fell　in　the　same　place。　　I　however　perceived　that　I　could　not　rise；　nor　even　make　the　smallest　effort　to　rise。　　The　boatmen　carried　me　into　the　house；　and　laid　me　on　a　couch；　and　my　friend；　who　was　a　medical　man；　examined　my　hurt。From　all　this　affliction　I　am；　through　mercy；　nearly　restored。　　I　am　still　very　weak；　and　the　injured　limb　is　very　painful。　　I　am　unable　to　walk　two　steps　without　crutches；　yet　my　strength　is　sensibly　increasing；　and　Dr。　Mellis；　who　attended　me　during　the　illness；　says　he　has　no　doubts　of　my　perfect　recovery。

〃During　my　confinement；　in　October；　such　a　quantity　of　water　came　down　from　the　western　hills；　that　it　laid　the　whole　country　for　about　a　hundred　miles　in　length　and　the　same　in　breadth；　under　water。　　The　Ganges　was　filled　by　the　flood；　so　as　to　spread　far　on　every　side。　　Serampore　was　under　water；　we　had　three　feet　of　water　in　our　garden　for　seven　or　eight　days。　　Almost　all　the　houses　of　the　natives　in　that　vast　extent　of　country　fell；　their　cattle　were　swept　away；　and　the　people；　men；　women；　and　children。　　Some　gained　elevated　spots；　where　the　water　still　rose　so　high　as　to　threaten　them　with　death；　others　climbed　trees；　and　some　floated　on　the　roofs　of　their　ruined　houses。　　One　of　the　Church　missionaries；　Mr。　Jetter；　who　had　accompanied　Mr。　Thomason　and　some　other　gentlemen　to　Burdwan　to　examine　the　schools　there；　called　on　me　on　his　return　and　gave　me　a　most　distressing　account　of　the　fall　of　houses；　the　loss　of　property；　the　violent　rushing　of　waters；　so　that　none；　not　even　the　best　swimmers；　dared　to　leave　the　place　where　they　were。

〃This　inundation　was　very　destructive　to　the　Mission　house；　or　rather　the　Mission　premises。　　A　slip　of　the　earth　（somewhat　like　that　of　an　avalanche）；　took　place　on　the　bank　of　the　river　near　my　house；　and　gradually　approached　it　until　only　about　ten　feet　of　space　were　left　between　that　and　the　house；　and　that　space　soon　split。　　At　last　two　fissures　appeared　in　the　foundation　and　wall　of　the　house　itself。　　This　was　a　signal　for　me　to　remove；　and　a　house　built　for　a　professor　in　the　College　being　empty；　I　removed　to　it；　and　through　mercy　am　now　comfortably　settled　there。

〃I　have　nearly　filled　my　letter　with　this　account；　but　I　must　give　you　a　short　account　of　the　state　of　my　mind　when　I　could　think；　and　that　was　generally　when　excited　by　an　access　of　friends；　at　other　times　I　could　scarcely　speak　or　think。　　I　concluded　one　or　two　days　that　my　death　was　near。　　I　had　no　joys；　nor　any　fear　of　death；　or　reluctance　to　die；　but　never　was　I　so　sensibly　convinced　of　the　value　of　an　ATONING　Saviour　as　then。　　I　could　only　say；　'Hangs　my　helpless　soul　on　thee；'　and　adopt　the　language　of　the　first　and　second　verses　of　the　fifty…first　Psalm；　which　I　desired　might　be　the　text　for　my　funeral　sermon。　　A　life　of　faith　in　Christ　as　the　Lamb　of　God　who　taketh　away　the　sin　of　the　world；　appeared　more　than　ordinarily　important　to　my　mind；　and　I　expressed　these　feelings　to　those　about　me　with　freedom　and　pleasure。

〃Now；　through　the　gracious　providence　of　God；　I　am　again　restored　to　my　work；　and　daily　do　a　little　as　my　strength　will　admit。　　The　printing　of　the　translations　is　now　going　forward　almost　as　usual；　but　I　have　not　yet　been　able　to　attend　to　my　duties　in　College。　　The　affairs　of　the　Mission　are　more　extended；　and　I　trust　in　as　prosperous　a　state　as　at　any　former　time。　　There　are　now　many　of　other　denominations　employed　in　Missions；　and　I　rejoice　to　say　that　we　are　all　workers　together　in　the　work。　　The　native　churches　were　never　in　a　better　state；　and　the　face　of　the　Mission　is　in　every　respect　encouraging。　　Give　my　love　to　all　who　know　me。I　am　very　affectionately　yours；　W。　CAREY。〃

Still　more　severe　and　disastrous　in　its　effects　was　the　cyclone　of　1831。　　The　former　had　desolated　the　open　garden；　but　this　laid　low　some　of　the　noblest　trees　which；　in　their　fall；　crushed　his　splendid　conservatory。　　One　of　his　brethren　represents　the　old　man　as　weeping　over　the　ruin　of　the　collections　of　twenty　years。　　Again　the　Hoogli；　lashed　into　fury　and　swollen　by　the　tidal　wave；　swept　away　the　lately…formed　road；　and；　cutting　off　another　fourth　of　the　original　settlement　of　the　Mission；　imperilled　the　old　house　of　Mr。　Ward。　Its　ruins　were　levelled　to　form　another　road；　and　ever　since　the　whole　face　of　the　right　bank　of　the　river　has　been　a　source　of　apprehension　and　expense。　　Just　before　this；　Dr。　Staughton　had　written　from　America　that　the　interest　on　the　funds　raised　there　by　Ward　for　the　College　would　not　be　sent　until　the　trustees　were　assured　that　the　money　was　not　to　be　spent　on　the　teaching　of　science　in　the　College；　but　only　on　the　theological　education　of　Hindoo　converts。　〃I　must　confess；〃　was　Carey's　reply；　〃I　never　heard　anything　more　illiberal。　　Pray　can　youth　be　trained　up　for　the　Christian　ministry　without　science？　　Do　you　in　America　train　up　youths　for　it　without　any　knowledge　of　science？〃

One　of　Dr。　Carey's　latest　visits　to　Calcutta　was　to　inspect　the　Society's　Garden　then　at　Alipore；　and　to　write　the　elaborate　report　of　the　Horticultural　Committee　which　appeared　in　the　second　volume　of　the　Transactions　after　his　death。　　He　t